An Assessment of Health Related Quality of Life in a Male Prison Population in Greece Associations with Health Related Characteristics and Characteristics of Detention

Abstract

Background. Prisoners constitute a group with increased health and social care needs. Although implementing policies that aim at improving outcomes within this population should be a priority area, studies that attempt to assess health outcomes and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population are limited. Aim. To assess HRQoL in a prison population in Greece and to explore the relationship between HRQoL and a set of individual sociodemographic and health related characteristics and characteristics of detention. Methods. A cross-sectional study involving 100 male prisoners was conducted in the prison of Corinth in Greece. HRQoL was assessed through the use of the SF-36 and the EQ-5D. Results. The mean physical and mental summary scores of the SF-36 were 55.33 and 46.82, respectively. The EQ-VAS mean score was 76.41%, while the EQ-5D index was 0.72. Multivariate analysis identified a statistical relationship between HRQoL and the conditions of detention, controlling for the effect of sociodemographic characteristics, morbidity, and mental problems. The use of narcotics in particular is significantly associated with lower HRQoL. Conclusions. Implementation of policies that aim at preventing the use of narcotics within the prison environment is expected to contribute to improved HRQoL in this population.

The Impact of Incarceration on Greek Female Prisoners’ Self-reported Health Status

“…Almost the same and higher rates of smokers have been reported in other Greek and international surveys [33,34,36,38,[72][73][74][75][76][77]. According to the study results, women increased their smoking habits by 20.8% during their detention period, while in previous surveys conducted in two Greek male prisons the relevant increase rates were higher (37.7% and 43.4% respectively) [33,34].…”

“…Moreover, the questionnaire and was completed during face to face interviews without the presence of the prison's social workers. Consequently, prisoners could not misreport their physical and mental health status in an attempt to avoid being stigmatized or to avoid the risk of being deprived of certain privileges such as being allowed to work in prison or being allowed to leave the prison on temporary license [36].…”

“…In Greece, research in the field of evaluating prisoners' self-reported health status is limited with few existing studies focusing on male prison population and on male detention facilities [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. Only three studies focusing on female incarceration conditions and self-reported health status have been published recently from the female prison in Attica that highlighted this issue in the country [39][40][41].…”

An assessment of female prisoners′ perception of the accessibility of quality healthcare: A survey in the Kumasi Central Prisons, Ghana

“…The participants were relatively younger with a mean age of 31.5 years similar to the observations made in Greece. [ 20 ]…”

The effect of exercise on improving quality of life and self-esteem of inmates in Greek prisons

“…Geitona & Milioni (2016b) examined health status deterioration and mental health among men prisoners and noted raised levels of sadness, anxiety and discomfort. Millioni and Geitona (2017) reported a moderate to poor health status of women prisoners in Greece whereas Togas et al (2014) assessed poor mental health as a component of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated drug use to lower HRQoL. Fotiadou, Livaditis, Manou, Kaniotou and Xenitidis (2006) assessed intellectual functioning and measured the prevalence of current and lifetime mental disorder and deliberate self-harm among male prisoners using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), identifying a significant need to improve mental health services in Greek prisons.…”